Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

PREP BOYS' TENNIS: Ferndale sends three to conference title matches

If Ferndale's Tanner Hanson is going to make good on his seed as the top singles player at the Class 3A Northwest Conference boys' tennis tournament, he's going to have to get past an opponent who knows him very well - Golden Eagles teammate Ryan Carlson.

Hanson and Carlson each made it through the first two rounds of the boys' singles tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Mount Vernon High School without dropping a set to guarantee a trip to the Class 3A Northwest District Tournament next week. The two meet for the conference crown and the NWC's top seed to district on Wednesday, Oct. 21 weather permitting in an all-Ferndale showdown.

"Tanner and Ryan both played very well," Ferndale coach Rudy Vendiola said in a phone interview. "They won both of their matches in straight sets. Their match should be fun to watch."

The two weren't the only Golden Eagles to do well at the tournament. Tully Sands and Alex Forhan also grabbed a spot in next week's district tournament. The duo advanced to the doubles conference championship with a pair of straight set wins. They'll meet Sedro-Woolley's Brendan McGoffin and Calvin Rutherford for the title.

With a little luck Ferndale could also be sending three more players on to the district tournament. Konner Erdman meets Sedro-Woolley's Henry Bletch in loser-out match in the consolation bracket of the singles tournament, while the doubles team of Erik Arntsen and Tyler Erickson plays Sedro-Woolley's Anthony Shanander and Brandon Samora in another loser-out match. The winners of both matches can do no worse than become the alternates to the district tournament.

Arntsen and Erickson's road to a district play-in match was particular tough considered the duo needed more than three hours to knock off Mount Vernon's Jared Knapp and Brennon Emory in a three set thriller in the first round. The eventually won the match 5-7, 7-5, 7-6.

"I think that one was probably the match of the tournament on the first day," Vendiola said. "It was just back and forth. It was a battle."

Ferndale could have faired even better on the first day, but No. 3 singles player Zachary Blaker did not compete because his family is moving out of the area and he won't be eligible to compete at the state tournament in the spring should he have made it that far.

CLASS 3A NORTHWEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

Tuesday's results

Singles

Play-in match

Tim McDougle (Sedro-Woolley) def. Mike Garcia (Sedro-Woolley), 5-7, 6-3, 6-1

First round

Tanner Hanson (Ferndale) def. Tim McDougle (Sedro-Woolley), 6-0, 6-0; Justin Sturden (Mount Vernon) def. Henry Bletch (Sedro-Woolley), 6-1, 4-6, 6-0: Ryan Carlson (Ferndale) def. Jeff Weber (Mount Vernon), 6-1, 6-3; Konner Erdman (Ferndale) def. Brian Leer (Mount Vernon), default

Consolation first round

Henry Bletch (Sedro-Woolley) def. Tim McDougle (Sedro-Woolley), 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4); Jeff Weber (Mount Vernon), winner by default

Championship semifinals

Tanner Hanson (Ferndale) def. Justin Sturden (Mount Vernon), 7-5, 6-3; Ryan Carlson (Ferndale) def. Konner Erdman (Ferndale), 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

Play-in match

Fenton Rybka/Tom Horak (Ferndale) def. Jeff Huschka/Jordan Erickson (Mount Vernon), 6-1, 6-0

First round

Brendan McGoffin/Calvin Rutherford (Sedro-Woolley) def. Fenton Rybka/Tom Horak (Ferndale), 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Erik Arnstsen/Tyler Erickson (Ferndale) def. Jared Knapp/Brennan Emory (Mount Vernon), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6; Bobby Backstrom/Evan Mann (Sedro-Woolley) def. Anthony Shanadnder/Brandon Samora (Mount Vernon), 6-4. 6-4; Tully Sands/Alex Forhan (Ferndale) def. Seth Richards/Corwin Givens (Sedro-Woolley) 6-0, 6-4

Consolation first round

Jared Knapp/Brennan Emory (Mount Vernon) def. Fenton Rybka/Tom Horak (Ferndale), 6-1, 6-4; Anthony Shanadnder/Brandon Samora (Mount Vernon) def. Seth Richards/Corwin Givens (Sedro-Woolley), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

Championship semifinals

Brendan McGoffin/Calvin Rutherford (Sedro-Woolley) def. Erik Arnstsen/Tyler Erickson (Ferndale), 7-5, 6-1; Tully Sands/Alex Forhan (Ferndale) def. Bobby Backstrom/Evan Mann (Sedro-Woolley), 6-1, 7-5

Wednesday's pairings

Singles

Consolation second round

Henry Bletch (Sedro-Woolley) vs. Konner Erdman (Ferndale); Jeff Weber (Mount Vernon) vs. Justin Sturdy (Mount Vernon)

Championship match

Tanner Hanson (Ferndale) vs. Ryan Carlson (Ferndale)

Doubles

Consolation second round

Jared Knapp/Brennan Emory (Mount Vernon) vs. Bobby Backstrom/Evan Mann (Sedro-Woolley); Anthony Shanadnder/Brandon Samora (Mount Vernon) vs. Erik Arnstsen/Tyler Erickson (Ferndale)

Championship match

Brendan McGoffin/Calvin Rutherford (Sedro-Woolley) vs. Tully Sands/Alex Forhan (Ferndale)